Neogen’s rapid Veratox® test for gliadin receives AOAC PTM approval

LANSING, Mich., June 15, 2012 — Neogen Corporation has received approval from the AOAC Research Institute for its rapid and accurate test for gliadin (gluten), which is used for confirmatory testing in the rapidly growing market for gluten-free food products.

Neogen’s newly approved Veratox® for Gliadin R5 (Performance Tested MethodSM certification 061201) conforms to the influential Codex Alimentarius, which has become the global reference point for consumers, food producers and processors, national food control agencies and the international food trade. The new test version uses the Codex Alimentarius recommended R5 gliadin antibody — the critical test element that “captures” any possible gliadin proteins in a test sample.

“Each time we receive a validation from an influential third party on any of our tests, it provides further assurance to our many customers that our tests perform as expected. We expect no less, and neither should our customers,” said Ed Bradley, Neogen’s vice president for Food Safety. “The Veratox test was shown to produce rapid and accurate results, allowing for significantly quicker product releases that improve profitability.”

The results of a rigorous validation study clearly indicate Veratox for Gliadin R5 performs as intended for the quantitative analysis of in-process ingredients, clean-in-place solutions, and finished products intended to be gluten free. The test also features a new proprietary gliadin renaturing cocktail extraction solution that provides consistent results, and does not require the use of a fume hood.

Gliadin is a protein found in wheat that belongs to a group of alcohol-soluble proteins called prolamins. Other prolamins include secalin, found in rye, and hordein, found in barley. Gluten consists of two groups of proteins (prolamins and glutelins) that are found in differing amounts in wheat, barley, rye and oats. Gliadin and other prolamins have been identified as major causal agents in a number of disorders, including wheat allergy and gluten intolerance (celiac disease). Research has shown the amount of gliadin detected using Neogen’s Veratox for Gliadin R5 test kit typically approximates one-half the total amount of gluten in a food sample.

Wheat allergy is a specific immune response to a number of wheat proteins, including gliadin, albumin, globulin, and glutenin. Celiac disease is a chronic reaction to gluten proteins that results in the poor absorption of nutrients in the small intestine. Consumers with celiac disease must avoid gluten, and rely upon the correct labeling of food to make appropriate, safe food choices. Testing for the presence of gluten components ensures food manufacturers that an unlabeled gluten-containing ingredient did not make its way into a food product.

Neogen Corporation (Nasdaq: NEOG) develops and markets products dedicated to food and animal safety. The company’s Food Safety Division markets diagnostic test kits to detect foodborne bacteria, natural toxins, genetic modifications, food allergens, drug residues, plant diseases, and sanitation concerns, and dehydrated culture media.